The present invention generally relates to the installation and mounting of electrical wires and cables. In particular, the present invention relates to vertically-mounted support brackets suitable for securing electrical wires or optical cables thereto. Even more particularly, this invention relates to wall-mounted support brackets which secure cables and wires in close proximity to electrical enclosure in compliance with electrical safety standards.
Certain electrical safety standards dictate the proper installation and securing means for wiring and cabling entering and exiting enclosures, such as an electrical circuit breaker panel or a junction box. One such standard, the National Electrical Code (NEC) calls for wires entering and exiting the top of a circuit breaker panel be supported at a distance of twelve inches above the panel. National Electrical Code and NEC are trademarks of the National Fire Protection Association, Inc.
One commonly used method to comply with this requirement, includes mounting a piece of wood to the wall above the panel and securing the wires to the wood with stables or another suitable fastener. An alternative method includes using a channel-shaped sheet metal bracket and cable ties to secure the wires.
While these approaches may work as intended, they are very time consuming. These installation methods require that the electrician or installer obtain a suitable piece of wood or metal, cut and/or shape the material into a custom bracket, and then fit the bracket into place. Furthermore, per at least the NEC, wires installed in this manner must be secured a minimum of one and a quarter inches (1¼″) back from the face of adjacent studs to prevent standard drywall screws or nails from inadvertently coming into contact with the wires. Complying with this requirement further increases the time and effort needed to fabricate and install the custom bracket.
If the electrical circuit panel or enclosure is mounted to a masonry wall, or if the panel is otherwise surface mounted, proper fasteners, including masonry nails that can be nailed or otherwise fastened into the block or concrete, are needed. Because electrical enclosures such as circuit breaker panels typically accommodate a variety of different cable types (e.g., two, three, or more conductor power cables, multi-wire service entrance cables such as a 4 wire/0 gauge cable, as well as larger feeder cables), these cable types must also be secured to comply with the electrical safety regulations.
In response to these and other wiring problems, a number of wiring brackets have been designed in an attempt to facilitate the installation of wiring. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,659,949 discloses a method of manufacturing a wiring harness which includes a plate on which wire clips are mounted to facilitate the positioning of individual wires. While the disclosed method and tooling device are both suitable for their intended purpose of manufacturing a wiring harness made up of individual wires, they are not suitable for producing harnesses capable of holding three-wire, and larger, cables above an electrical box. First, the clips for the disclosed harness are not suitable for holding larger diameter cables. Second, there are no elements provided to facilitate mounting of the harness to a wall. Third, there are no provisions for ensuring the required 1¼ inches of spacing to reduce the likelihood of inadvertent contact with screws and nails.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,370,558 discloses a fixture for supporting a splicing module for telecommunications cables. The fixture has a body member, generally the size of a comb, formed with a series of raised teeth, spaced opposite edges, corresponding to the spacing of the contacts, and wire receiving channels in the splicing module. The teeth are spaced apart so as to receive and locate the wires in relationship to a splicing module placed on the body member between the rows of teeth. A retainer body member has an elongated planar portion with an upper and a lower surface which includes registration alignment posts on the body which cooperate with openings in the ends of the base to insure proper alignment of the body and base. Although this device is useful as a splicing fixture, it has the same drawbacks as the '949 patent for use as a cable support bracket.
Other prior art devices and methods are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. D326,999, D336,421, 3,659,319, 4,253,629, 4,097,106, 4,601,530, 4,836,803, 5,554,053. These devices and methods are suitable for their intended purposes, but each is deficient in some way for use as a cable support bracket.
Notwithstanding these developments, what is needed in the art is a cable support bracket which, when properly installed, provides sufficient spacing from associated walls and which securely holds the cables.